The first concert Sally Stafford remembers attending was at the Market Street Festival when she was 7 or 8 years old.
She vividly recalls sitting on an instrument box backstage with her father Stewart Stafford – who directed the festival’s nighttime entertainment for several years – watching a Michael Jackson impersonator perform.
“I thought it was the coolest thing ever because I had a lanyard,” Sally said.
She might have topped that Oct. 4, when as director for Bulldog Bash, she took the stage in downtown Starkville to introduce multi-platinum rapper Ludacris to a crowd that stretched down Main Street for more than two blocks.
“It’s been five of us in a boardroom for almost a year doing so much work without it being noticed,” she said Monday, referring to the student crew she led putting together this year’s installment of the largest free outdoor concert in the state. “Going from that to seeing 15,000 people on Main Street, it didn’t even feel real there for a minute.”
A senior at Mississippi State University double-majoring in business administration and marketing, Sally, a Columbus native, grew up around music and around people who made concerts happen.
Her grandfather, Lee Stafford, helped found the Prairie Arts Festival in West Point. As a child, Sally went with her family to see everything from major artists playing in large cities to Sounds of Summer in Columbus to “just about any band around having a jam session.” The experiences made for plenty of memorable family stories, like the time her mother Molly Stafford picked up singer-songwriter Paul Thorn at the airport in the family minivan so he could play an area show.
“I didn’t realize the impact it would have on my life until I got to college,” Sally said. “… I was in choir and theater growing up, but I was really mediocre at it. … I have the passion of someone who would be in a band, but none of the talent. I (decided I) can be the main man behind the main man.”
Music Maker to Bulldog Bash
Sally joined Music Maker Productions as a freshman at MSU, helping a team of 20 students put on five to six concerts a year of varying scales. She started as a general crew member, moved up to director of operations and logistics as a sophomore and director her junior year.
That’s what led Sally to want to work with Bulldog Bash, which the MSU Student Association puts on via sponsorships and a city sales tax appropriation. She interviewed with the 2023 Bulldog Bash Committee, which selected her to lead this year’s team.
Starting in January, Sally said, the team began working with a “middle agent” based in Birmingham, Alabama, to get a list of artists that fit its budget, timeline and genre preferences. With that list in hand, the crew extensively researched artists, even contacting managers for venues they had recently played, to determine the best fit. The team also met with city officials to nail down security for the Bash.
By late summer, Ludacris was confirmed as headliner, but only a select few knew it for several weeks.
“A lot of confidentiality goes into that, which is a heavy burden but really rewarding in the end,” Sally said. “… It’s like giving a gift for Christmas. Of course you want to tell a person what they’re getting, but you know the surprise is going to be even better.”
Once the booking was announced in September, she said, it was “go-time.” Posters, t-shirts and other marketing material had to be made, sponsorships and the show schedule finalized.
“Bulldog Bash is like if you were driving a race car, and every day you were pressing harder on the accelerator,” she said.
The “day of the show” lasted about 48 hours for Sally and her crew, but their hard work made it all go smoothly, she said. She even got to stop and enjoy more of the event than she expected.
“I’ve worked a lot of concerts, but I feel really grateful, even though this was the largest and most mind blowing show I’ve ever worked, I felt the most present at this one,” Sally said. “I got to stroll around the Maroon Market for like 20 minutes by myself, and I bought a gift for a family member. It was just so sweet to be able to have that moment.”
Sally and the crew got to meet and snap a photo with Ludacris, too.
“He was great. He was so happy to be there,” she said. “Gave us all high-fives. Really a great artist and great team to work with. … We try to bring a genre that hasn’t been here in a while that appeals to college students but also your average Starkville resident. I really feel like we hit the jackpot this year.”
The next step
Stewart said he’s proud to see Sally’s success, especially with Bulldog Bash and Music Maker. Those experiences, he believes, may prove just as vital as anything she learns in class.
“You’re not going to outwork her. She stays after it.” Stewart said. “… It’s been rewarding to see her get so much out of (planning concerts).”
Sally’s sister, MSU junior Shelby Stafford, is following right behind her, as she has now joined the Music Maker team.
As for what role music plays in Sally’s professional future, that’s still up in the air. She may instead decide to dive full-force into the marketing world, helping companies build their brands.
“(Music) is a really unpredictable industry, but that’s also what’s so great about it,” she said. “So, I can confidently say I don’t know. It’s definitely not off my radar. … Community building through concerts is always going to stay in my life, whether I’m attending them, volunteering or maybe working them one day.”
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 47 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
